Dharma Practice

རབ་བྱུང་གྲྭ་ཆས་རྣམསཀྱི་ཚད།

https://youtu.be/EQ7BHEH010c

Third Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche fund raising for tsurpu jamgon kongtrul rinpoche working as fund raiser for tsurpu karmapa's projects.

The cairns which are found in many places in the himalayan Buddhist areas are generally a symbol of a stupa made by passing pilgrims. Practically all mountain passes have them, sometimes more than one. When one goes over the pass it is customary to put a stone as a sign of gratitude to the local deities, as well as an offering to the Three Jewels. They are viewed as makeshift stupas - the accumulated effort and good wishes of all travelers who went by there. Something made with such intention and in such manner always has power and can be seen as a shelter by many non-material beings. It is not correct to say that a local preta can not have benefit - they don't have our human perception. Anything empowered by pure intention can serve as a support for them.

Building a cairn with a certain intention will have power, as will any intentionally built religious structure, and it is basically certain to attract non-human beings. However if one wants to avoid having beings with disturbed energy taking residence there permanently, this has to be consecrated for virtuous function by someone who has a strong power of intent, preferably by a great beings or lama.

There are a few analogies to why Buddhist stacked stones. The basic is a form of an offering. Here’s a few analogies
1) A childlike act to increase awareness
2) To teach balance and concentration
3) Request to deities to give the traveler safe passage on the journey
4) Makeshift Stupas of Pagodas
Good fortune where each stone represents a particular wish and possibly family member